Divorce & legal aid.

[RespectTheDoughnut]

How do you go about finding a solicitor / arranging legal aid for a divorce? Do all solicitors give legal aid?

Thank you

I think that if you google family law solicitors or something like that you get a list of all the solicitors in your area which states whether they give fixed fee interviews etc.
There is a governent website with legal aid calculator on it. Sorry can't remember details but I found it all online.

Unfortunately very few firms of solicitors have public funding (legal aid) franchises now so you will need to search carefully for one that has a franchise. Also, not many firms give fixed fee interviews.

I would recommend looking for a family lawyer who is a member of Resolution (resolution members sign up to an amicable divorce) Have a look on the Resolution website and hopefully you will find a resolution member that does legal aid/public funding

Alternatively, ask at your local county court office. They cannot recommend a particular solicitor but can provide details of them.

Not all do, and unless you are in a very dire situation you are unlikely to get it anyway. You can find Legal Aid Calculators in internet to check if you qualify. (At some point I was in JSA, Child Tax Credits, Child benefits, JSA and therefore a reduction CTB, and a small sum for maintenance from the ex... still didn't qualify)

If you don't qualify, your case is what can be called straight forward, and you are good at organising yourself. I would suggest getting The Which Guide to Divorce, and use the solicitor just for those things that you can't possibly understand. Most solicitors offer a first half an hour free appointment, so come to them prepared with those questions rather than wasting them in having the basics explained to you.

Please note that solicitors rate are, effectively, somewhere around £3 a ... minute. So use your time well.

Oh fuck, then. I can't afford to pay the CM this month, nor the rent. Nor last month. I'm relying solely on my parents for handouts. & this is before my husband moves out. Fuck fuck fuck.

Agree with mumoverseas . The website for finding out whether you're eligible is the legal services commission. Go to the eligibility calculator, tick the box which says Legal Help and within a couple of minutes it'll tell you whether you're entitled at least to the first part of legal aid.

If you do qualify, that'll cover the divorce and your sols will apply for a further certificate to cover the financial negotiations. You may end up paying a contribution depending on your disposable income but you'll still be paying an hourly rate of around half the normal private rate.

Where in the country are you?

Hmm. It says 'You are financially eligible for legal help.' I shan't hold my breath, though - I've heard that before & had it taken away at more than the last minute with full housing benefit

I emailed a solicitor about it, who replied saying that I can have a free half hour consultation in which they'll work out if I'm entitled. I'll phone on Monday.

I'm in Sheffield.

Thanks everyone. Sorry I got a bit sweary earlier.

Well, so long as the info you fed into the calculator is accurate, then you will get Legal Help.

good luck with seeing the sol next week. If it's a free half hour, you don't want to waste time, so don't bother going into the reasons for the breakdown of the marriage, go in armed with docs like:

P60, payslips
Valuation of house, recent mortgage statement
Valuations of endowments
copy bank stmts (just recent ones at this stage)

Luckily, I don't have that much documentation. We rent & I'm a full-time student, so...

It does make calculations as to what I'm entitled to really complicated though, because different people count different things as income (student loans, parental learning allowance, etc), so you can never tell.

But I will seek as much documentation out as I can from the big pile of rubbish in the flat